


Sunflower of June

by akaatsuki



Series: Girls [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, im going to cry writing all of these actually!, me sobbing loudly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 00:55:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16943946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaatsuki/pseuds/akaatsuki
Summary: Sakuma Rei has cared for Aoi Hinata like her own child since the day the latter joined the Light Music Club. And, of course, caring for her can also translate into buying her plenty of cute clothes when her father is being neglectful.





	Sunflower of June

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is part of a series/collection of fics that are pretty much just me projecting and coping with my own personal experiences as well as other fun/cute stuff! at my core im just a lonely lesbian who wants to write characters that i can deeply resonate with, so this series/collection is an attempt at that, i guess! that means that some of these could get a bit personal and self-indulgent, but i really hope someone else can enjoy these as much as i enjoyed writing them! ♥

“Are you sure that this is okay, Sakuma-senpai?” 

Rei smiles as she sifts through the clothing rack, her scarlet eyes glimmering in the light of the store. She leafs through a few more dresses, taking her time in examining them, before she looks up towards Hinata to respond. 

“Of course it is,” she reassures happily, taking one of the hangers and holding it in front of herself to display. “You are always working so hard; you deserve to be treated to something nice, do you not? Look, this one suits you quite nicely, yes?” 

Hinata looks at the dress that Rei holds up for her, feeling her heart swell at the soft color and the slight volume of the skirt. She still feels a bit of guilt knowing that Rei is insisting on paying for whatever it is that she decides to buy, but arguing with the other woman is quite literally impossible. Rei’s cheerful smile as she waits for Hinata’s reaction solidifies that conclusion, and…well, it’s a really,  _ really _ cute dress. 

“O~h, and if you wore one of those cute sun hats with this, you would look just like a sunflower, Hinata-chan!” Rei takes notice of the hat rack not too far from them, her expression delighted at the concept of the outfit she’s compiling in her mind for Hinata to wear. 

Hinata can’t help but smile at her; at times, it really  _ does _ feel like Rei fills in the role of her would-be mother. The older girl is always helping her with little things, whether it be songwriting, personal problems, or her less than satisfactory home life—which is why Rei had  _ really _ taken her shopping today, she knows. Maybe she  _ has _ been working hard, but at the core of it all, Hinata can tell that Rei had simply overheard her talking to her friends about how it’s nearly impossible to buy new clothes with the way her father is. 

Rei had invited Hinata’s sister, as well, but since Yuuta had plans with her classmate, Rei agreed to take her a different day. Hinata supposes that’s for the best; despite only doing it out of love for her, she knows that Yuuta doesn’t really appreciate her input while shopping. 

“It’s super cute, Sakuma-senpai!” she smiles as she runs her hand along the fabric, truthful in her opinion. “Do you really think the sun hat would be cute with it? Maybe I’ll wear my hair down, too…~” 

“Ah, how cute,” Rei chimes in agreement, moving to pluck a hat from the display. It’s light and woven from fine, straw-like material, with a brilliant sunflower decoration fashioned upon the ribbon. Rei wonders momentarily if she should wear some light colors tomorrow and turns to face Hinata again. 

“Why don’t you go and try on that dress?” she offers, holding the rim of the hat with both hands. “See if it fits you, and then we can see how well the hat matches it. I’m sure it will; ah, you’ll look like the picture of Summer itself…~” 

Hinata nods in earnest, holding the dress closely to her chest as she heads towards the changing rooms. Rei waits patiently outside, admiring the displays as Hinata slips into one of the stalls, closing the door quietly behind her and beginning to remove the dress carefully from its hanger. It’s not like she  _ always _ took this long to get changed, but this was a special dress; not only because Rei was, in fact, going to pay for it, but also because Rei had hand-picked it  _ herself _ . 

In regards to all of the things that Rei offered to her, Hinata can’t remember ever once accepting something just to make the other happy. Rather, it simply seemed to her that everything Rei did was for her sake, honestly and genuinely. Rei understood her on a level that made her heart squeeze in her chest; with her father uncaring and absent and her mother a distant memory, Rei’s presence was like a warm embrace after having been locked outside in the cold for a lifetime. Of course, this kindness and presence was not offered only to her, but to Yuuta, as well. Being able to have someone to walk alongside herself was one thing, but for the same to be offered to her beloved younger sister was far more than she could have ever hoped to have. 

Hinata twirls within the stall and watches as her skirt rides upon the air around her, reflected back to her in the mirror upon the wall. She stands still when she feels that it’s a comfortable fit, looking more closely at herself. Her reflection stands with her hands folded behind her back, the low-cut sleeves of the dress revealing her slim and freckled shoulders. The fabric is loose and will certainly flutter in the summer breeze, falling just above her knees. It is a soft, faint pink color; not too strong, but not too white. Rei was (of course) right in her judgement: Hinata looked like she was ready to model for one of those flowery summer magazines that she could see by the register. 

With that, she pushes the door of the stall out and goes to present herself to Rei. The other woman, who had previously been inspecting the tag of one of the dresses hung upon a rack, turns to acknowledge her presence. The light in her eyes brighten with delight at Hinata’s display. 

“Oh, Hinata-chan, it is truly perfect for you!” she insists gleefully, holding out the sun hat for her to try on, as well. “Here; let your hair down and try this on. Ah, it will look so cute on you!” 

Hinata feels her smile growing into one that she can’t suppress; it’s a genuine, joyful kind of smile that makes the sides of her lips ache in a satisfying way. Reaching her hands up, she undos the pink scrunchie that holds the ponytail on the right side of her head, combing her fingers through her hair as it falls into its natural place. Putting the scrunchie around her wrist, she takes the sun hat from Rei’s hands and places it gently upon her own head. Rei beams at her, motioning towards the mirror set to the side. 

“You look beautiful, Hinata-chan,” Rei smiles, her voice heavy with affection and tenderness, placing her manicured hands upon Hinata’s slim shoulders as the latter turns to look at her reflection once more.

Hinata feels her cheeks flush at the person staring back at her, hands neatly placed at her front. The sun hat, indeed, ties the whole outfit together beautifully. She suddenly feels intense waves of emotion washing over her all at once: awe, surprise, gratitude, and joy. Though her smile had dropped for a few moments as she observed herself (and, truthfully, almost didn’t  _ recognize _ herself), it returns just as quickly, twice as radiant as before. Rei stands behind her still, her long, wavy hair framing the loving expression upon her face. 

Overcome with elation, Hinata turns on her heels and throws her arms around Rei in a tight embrace, her sunhat fluttering off of her head in the process. Rei laughs softly, her eyes twinkling as she gently strokes the softness of Hinata’s hair, like a mother tenderly caring for her child. 

“Thank you so much, Sakuma-senpai,” Hinata murmurs against her, cherishing the moment. 

“Of course, dear,” Rei replies, her voice tender and soft, as though looking upon the thing most treasured to her in the world. “I love you very much, Hinata-chan.” 

Hinata looks up, smiling brightly to convey her own affections. 

“I love you, too, Sakuma-senpai!” 


End file.
